Washington voiced displeasure; Seoul responded with respect. Few scenes better capture the disconnect in the U.S.-South Korea alliance. President Donald Trump ordered a major reduction in joint U.S.-South Korea military drills, saying they cost too much and send a hostile signal to North Korea. He made no secret of his displeasure with South Korea for not supporting U.S. military action against Iran. Yet he spoke warmly of Kim Jong-un and said he wanted to meet him this year. Seoul’s response was unexpected. President Lee Jae Myung praised Trump’s decision as an effort for peace on the Korean Peninsula and expressed his “respect.” Days earlier, Lee had stressed self-reliant defense, citing South Korea’s world-class military and defense industry, while vowing to regain wartime operational control within his term. Pyongyang seized on the contradiction. The North Korean leader's sister, Kim Yo-jong, mocked Seoul for claiming ample capacity to defend itself while scaling back joint exercises at Trump’s word. She also called Seoul’s attempt to alter a Northeast Asian balance sh